Ryan Garcia shocked the world back in April after being the first boxer to deal Devin Haney a loss. However, it looks like the result has been overturned to a no-contest, as Garcia tested positive for Ostarine, a performance-enhancing drug. The New York State Athletic Commission also sanctioned Garcia to a one-year suspension on Thursday.
As the news broke, social media exploded into a frenzy, and Garcia himself didn't shy away from letting his thoughts be known. The 25-year-old put out a string of posts about his current situation, and it's definitely something that people will be talking about for quite a while.
For starters, Garcia claimed innocence despite the test results.
“I really hope boxing good without me,” Garcia wrote. “I fought everyone and was willing to. They have turned their back on me. I’m innocent. I stand by that I don’t care what everyone says. Gun (to) my head, I say I didn’t take PEDs.”
The boxer also announced that he'll be making a jump to the UFC.
“I'm headed to the UFC.”
“For real Dana White, hit me up,” he added on a separate post.
Furthermore, Garcia expressed outright infuriation toward Devin Haney.
“F**K YOU CRY BABY B****H,” he posted, adding a picture of himself and Haney in the ring.
These are just some of the many head-turning tweets that the former interim lightweight champion shared. He has several more about maintaining innocence, as well as others that directed anger toward the sport of boxing in general. To view all the posts, it would be best to check out Garcia's official X account.
Ryan Garcia's team addresses the suspension
His team also addressed the matter as well. Releasing a statement, the men in Garcia's corner claimed that their fighter was a “victim of substance contamination,” adding that the boxer “never intentionally took any banned substance.” They even made a mention of how fans supposedly view the Garcia-Haney bout, despite the overturned result.
“The fans will always remember his performance against Devin Haney as a masterclass, and that will never be erased.”
Here's the full statement below, per talkSport's Michael Benson.
A 24-1 record all over again
Ever since his first professional fight in 2016, “King Ryan,” as they call him, has bested every opponent that he's faced until last year, when he fell at the hands of Gervonta Davis. He eventually bounced back from the loss with an eighth-round knockout over Oscar Duarte, paving the way for the Devin Haney bout.
Garcia and Haney were slated to fight for the WBC super lightweight belt, but the former missed weight, making him ineligible for the title. Nevertheless, Garcia emerged victorious via majority decision after knocking his foe down thrice.
With the fight listed as a no-contest, Garcia's record goes back to 24 wins and one loss.